The Steelers trade Martavis Bryant to the Raiders for a third-round pick. Dave Richard says Fantasy owners should keep expectations in check for the oft-disappointing wideout.

Once upon a time, Martavis Bryant had 14 touchdowns in his first 21 games and looked like a Fantasy hero-in-waiting. Then he got suspended for a year for violating the NFL's drug policy.

That started a chain of dominoes that ended with Bryant getting flipped to the Raiders for a third-round pick, 79th overall. The star-crossed receiver gives Jon Gruden's Raiders some much needed speed and depth at receiver.

Fantasy owners might be intrigued, but they shouldn't be ready to spend draft capital on him.

Bryant traded

When Bryant came back in 2017 he showed flashes of his old self but really disappointed with three scores in 15 games. Only four catches went for more than 20 yards. Clearly, the Raiders believe they can get more out of Bryant, though they don't have to rush him onto the field and can use him as a complementary player on offense.

That's why Fantasy owners can't get too excited. How many targets will Bryant realistically get behind Amari Cooper and Jordy Nelson? Maybe it happens for him if Jordy Nelson can't stay healthy, but until then, Bryant isn't worth much consideration.

Spend a late-round pick on Bryant if you wish -- maybe it's even a good move if you're in a deep league and you're counting on Jordy as your third receiver. But until he proves he can score like he did pre-suspension, he shouldn't be worth getting excited about.

As for Derek Carr, having a weapon like Bryant looks great on paper but might not make too much of a difference in the stat book. Maybe it means an extra 200 yards and an extra score or two. No one is seriously considering Carr as a Fantasy starter -- he's also a potential late-round choice as a No. 2 signal-caller.

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Dave Richard has spent nearly his entire career covering the National Football League. Beginning with NFL.com at the boom of the Internet, Richard was that site's first Fantasy Football writer before transitioning...
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